Without the two (both capable of being starters), the Bulldogs dropped to 8-6 after losing to Hawaii and Saint Mary's in the wake of the brouhaha. Here's Rick Stansbury's official response, per the school's press release.

“We wish him the best as he moves on. Elgin has had to deal with some very tough injuries, but he’s worked very hard to get to where he is now. Wherever he ends up, I hope he’s able to have a lot of success. As for this team, it’s time to move on and learn from these mistakes. Hopefully, by sending Sid and Elgin home following the incident, a strong message was sent that this type of behavior is unacceptable."

What message is Sidney receiving? That multiple chances for bad behavior, a defiant attitude and fighting with teammates is the normal, real-world end result for those actions? Sidney's pure basketball ability is the only thing that's kept him on a BCS conference team, a team that's a mess and probably had its season go down the drain already.

Remember, if it wasn't for his attitude and reported lazy work ethic, Sidney would've already tried to give the NBA a shot.

You know this drill. The one with more talent gets more chances. Stansbury had waited SO long to get Sidney on the court. So, if there was reasonable doubt, he wasn't going to kick the kid off the team. With enough evidenced piled up against Bailey, a separation needed to happen.

Bailey (a captain, remember) was more expendable than Sidney, which tells us something about the Bulldogs' leadership. But I keep going back to: Even if Bailey was completley in the wrong here ... why didn't Sidney just walk away? No, you saw the video: He was just as eager to throw down as Bailey was. Instigator be damned, both parties fouled up.

But one gets to stay. Here are his words:

“I’m very embarrassed about what happened," Sidney said in the statement. “I know how bad it looked on TV and the embarrassment it caused for everyone associated with Mississippi State. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, and I will learn from this mistake, move forward and become a better man.”

Becoming a man is the step that needs to be taken first. Men don't let their emotions take over and start swinging knuckles when families and impressionable children are around.

The double-edged sword in all this: Keeping Sidney around could do as much to help Stansbury's job status as it would hurt it.

Renardo Sidney stays, Elgin Bailey to transfer

DiKHed-fl,

How about I shut your trap instead.

I said Clarett was no angel, not that he had brushes w/ the law. From Clarett's wikipedia page:

"Clarett's time at Ohio State University was marked by several troubling incidents. He was seen yelling at his position coach during the Northwestern - Ohio State game in the 2002 season. In December 2002, he publicly maligned OSU officials for not paying for him to fly home for the funeral of a friend and accused administrators of lying when they said he had not filed the necessary paperwork. In July 2003, Clarett became the center of an academic scandal when a teaching assistant told the that Clarett had received preferential treatment from a professor; the investigation did not find sufficient evidence of ."

Yet he wasn't suspended until:"Ohio State later suspended Clarett for the 2003 athletic year after he was charged with filing a false police report. Clarett had filed a false claim that more than $10,000 in clothing, CDs, cash and stereo equipment were stolen from a car he borrowed from a local dealership in September 2003. Athletic Director stated that Clarett also took thousands of dollars in special benefits and repeatedly misled investigators. Clarett later pleaded guilty to a lesser criminal charge (failure to aid a law enforcement official) in that incident."

Hmm, there just no way he took improper benefits until after his first year, huh?

Regarding Cam Newton, while you are technically correct, he left UF because he was about to kicked off the team. Re Dowling, maybe he didn't see the field because of the issues that eventually caused him to be kicked off the team. Maybe it's because one starting safety was a 2nd team all american while the other was the number one safety in the county coming out of hs 3 years ago and will play on sundays. Maybe it was a combo, I really don't know, but I do know he was the 5th rated safety in the country and UF kicked him off the team despite the fact they are losing both starting safeties to the nfl this year.

As for the rest of my "inaccurate" examples, Demar Dorsey did end up at UM after reports surfaced that he wouldn't qualify academically at UF, and UGA did kick 4 players off the team last year. All of which makes you illinformed, a jackass AND simply a DikHed!

Since: Sep 5, 2010

Posted on: January 4, 2011 5:41 pm

Renardo Sidney stays, Elgin Bailey to transfer

@BGBGATOR... you are either simply illinformed or a liar of the facts. Cam Newton was kicked out of Florida... not hardly... he left the school after the laptop theft AND after being caught for cheating three times. Seems a so-called gator fan would know that. As for your Clarett instance - again you are wrong - he had no brushes with the law until AFTER he was thrown out of the school. And if Dowling was so good... why is that he never saw the field before getting tossed? Blah, blah, blah to the rest of your inaccurate examples as well as I won't waste the space proving them wrong as well.

Simply put, if the SEC's reduced academic standards, reduced conference policing efforts, etc don't make a difference, WELL THEN SIMPLY BOOST THEM UP TO THE BIG TEN'S. SINCE IT DOESN'T MATTER - OR SO YOU SAY - IT SHOULDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE AT ALL.

Yup, that's what I thought. Now shut your trap until you can stop lying or at the very least learn about the topic you are writing about.

Since: Jul 17, 2008

Posted on: January 4, 2011 1:22 pm

Renardo Sidney stays, Elgin Bailey to transfer

excellent post , im so sick of SEC athletics, how they are run, and the "student/ath" they bring in. they are thugs, thiefs, and have the lowest graduation rates of any conf. (with ex. to vandy, love that school). i wish reporters would really start to investigate and call it as it is!

Since: Oct 3, 2006

Posted on: January 4, 2011 12:49 pm

Renardo Sidney stays, Elgin Bailey to transfer

@Rikki... it shows you are from Georgia (the middle of SEC territory) and you bring up the Big Ten as an example of your disgust?!?!? No, really, seriously?!?!? The SEC - just like in this story - is the epicenter to what is the worst in college athletics. No doubt the entire system is a mess but no one (other than a homer) can refute that comment regarding the SEC. Academics, violent crime, drugs, past indiscretions, etc. are all secondary to a kid's potential athletic talent. If you think I'm wrong... name ONE "very" good player that has ever been kicked off a team in any sport in the SEC? Even easier, name me one "very" talented recruit or JC transfer that has been turned away? It just doesn't happen. Unfortunately - for everyone in every conference - I'm afraid this mentality will only continue to spread and not recede.

Get off your high horse. He mentioned Cam Newton before Pryor and co from OSU. Speaking of OSU, Maurice Clarett was certainly no angel. As for your challenge, Cam Newton was kicked out of UF for his transgressions. Safety Jonathon Dowling was recently kicked off the team even though he was the number 5 safety in the country coming out of high school, and UF is thin at safety. UF also kicked D tackle Gary Brown off the team last years, and UGA kicked four players off the team last season, of which I believe two were projected starters.

Finally, recruit and 4 star safety Demar Dorsey was told by UF to look elsewhere and guess where he ended up signing? Yep, fellow Lil 10 member Michigan.

Since: Jan 4, 2011

Posted on: January 4, 2011 12:33 pm

Renardo Sidney stays, Elgin Bailey to transfer

Sign of a trashy program. I'd kick both kids out before they got back to their seats.

Since: Jun 9, 2008

Posted on: January 4, 2011 9:57 am

Renardo Sidney stays, Elgin Bailey to transfer

Wow! Never in my life have I seen such a debacle. This Sidney kid is nothing but trouble. I'm sure Stansbury will give him yet another chance, but in the end Sidney has hurt himself more than anything or anybody.

Since: Oct 18, 2006

Posted on: January 4, 2011 9:55 am

Renardo Sidney stays, Elgin Bailey to transfer

This kid is a punk. The best thing that could have happened for him was to be thrown off the team...maybe that would help force him to re-evaluate and gorw up. Now the coach and school are just enablers.

One question: How is "BCS conference team" releveant? This is basketball, not football

Since: Dec 3, 2006

Posted on: January 4, 2011 9:31 am

Renardo Sidney stays, Elgin Bailey to transfer

PATTY2

I Believe it was on a TABLE @ Porcinis Italian Restaurant NOT on the Floor... Please get your "facts" Straight !! Get over it !!!

Since: Dec 3, 2006

Posted on: January 4, 2011 9:23 am

Renardo Sidney stays, Elgin Bailey to transfer

PATTY2

Get your Facts straight before attacking people ... 'SEX WAS ON THE TABLE--NOT THE FLOOR" & SO WHAT !!! Get over it !!!

Since: Jan 1, 2009

Posted on: January 4, 2011 8:17 am

Renardo Sidney stays, Elgin Bailey to transfer

I love the fact that someone has to bring up UL on every thread.......i guess some are still feeling threatened by them